Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp2692.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Multinationals as Stabilizers? Economic Crisis and Plant Employment Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Alvarez, Roberto

    (Central Bank of Chile)

  • Görg, Holger

    (Kiel Institute for the World Economy)

Abstract
This paper examines the link between multinational enterprises and employment growth at the plant-level. We investigate in detail the comparative response of multinationals and domestic firms to an economic crisis, using the empirical setting of a well defined case of economic slowdown in Chile as a natural experiment. In our empirical analysis we find that employment growth in manufacturing plants has been drastically reduced during the economic crisis. More importantly, we do not find evidence that multinationals react to the economic crisis differently than do domestic firms. Our findings hold in a number of robustness tests, in which we also investigate the role of access to finance. The results are in contrast to the idea that multinationals are less affected by an economic crisis and that they may be able to act as stabilizers in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Alvarez, Roberto & Görg, Holger, 2007. "Multinationals as Stabilizers? Economic Crisis and Plant Employment Growth," IZA Discussion Papers 2692, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2692
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp2692.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holger Görg & Eric Strobl, 2016. "Multinational Companies, Technology Spillovers and Plant Survival," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND HOST COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT, chapter 16, pages 289-303, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. M Schaffer, 1996. "Job Creation and Job Destruction in a Transition Economy: Ownership," CEP Discussion Papers dp0282, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Evans, David S, 1987. "The Relationship between Firm Growth, Size, and Age: Estimates for 100 Manufacturing Industries," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 567-581, June.
    4. J. Konings & H. Lehmann & M.E. Schaffer, 1996. "Job Creation and Job Destruction in a Transition Economy: Ownership, Firm Size," CERT Discussion Papers 9611, Centre for Economic Reform and Transformation, Heriot Watt University.
    5. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1998. "Financial Dependence and Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 559-586, June.
    6. Salvador Barrios & Holger Görg & Eric Strobl, 2016. "Foreign direct investment, competition and industrial development in the host country," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND HOST COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT, chapter 18, pages 323-346, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Elhanan Helpman & Marc J. Melitz & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2004. "Export Versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 300-316, March.
    8. Ann E. Harrison & Margaret S. McMillan, 2022. "Does direct foreign investment affect domestic credit constraints?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 7, pages 153-180, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Flamm, Kenneth, 1984. "The volatility of offshore investment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 231-248, December.
    10. Brian Aitken & Ann Harrison & Robert E. Lipsey, 2022. "Wages and foreign ownership A comparative study of Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 4, pages 61-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    11. Dunne, Paul & Hughes, Alan, 1994. "Age, Size, Growth and Survival: UK Companies in the 1980s," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 115-140, June.
    12. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & Kristin J. Forbes, 2004. "Financial Constraints and Growth: Multinational and Local Firm Responses to Currency Crises," NBER Working Papers 10545, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Robert E. Lipsey, 2002. "Home and Host Country Effects of FDI," NBER Working Papers 9293, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Matías Braun & Borja Larrain, 2005. "Finance and the Business Cycle: International, Inter‐Industry Evidence," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(3), pages 1097-1128, June.
    15. Beata Smarzynska Javorcik, 2004. "Does Foreign Direct Investment Increase the Productivity of Domestic Firms? In Search of Spillovers Through Backward Linkages," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 605-627, June.
    16. repec:idb:brikps:43518 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    18. McAleese, Dermot & Counahan, Michael, 1979. "'Stickers' or 'Snatchers'? Employment in Multinational Corporations during the Recession," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 41(4), pages 345-358, November.
    19. Andrew B. Bernard & Fredrik Sjoholm, 2003. "Foreign Owners and Plant Survival," NBER Working Papers 10039, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Raddatz, Claudio, 2006. "Liquidity needs and vulnerability to financial underdevelopment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 677-722, June.
    21. Konings, Jozef & Lehmann, Hartmut & Schaffer, Mark E., 1996. "Job creation and job destruction in a transition economy: Ownership, firm size, and gross job flows in Polish manufacturing 1988-1991," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 299-317, October.
    22. Alvarez, Roberto & Görg, Holger, 2009. "Multinationals and plant exit: Evidence from Chile," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 45-51, January.
    23. Robert E. Lipsey, 2004. "Home- and Host-Country Effects of Foreign Direct Investment," NBER Chapters, in: Challenges to Globalization: Analyzing the Economics, pages 333-379, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sun Eae Chun & Mamoru Nagano & Min Hwan Lee, 2011. "Ownership Structure and Risk‐taking Behavior: Evidence from Banks in Korea and Japan," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 25(2), pages 151-175, June.
    2. Kolasa, Marcin & Rubaszek, Michal & Taglioni, Daria, 2010. "Firms in the great global recession: The role of foreign ownership and financial dependence," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 341-357, December.
    3. Nicola Cortinovis & Riccardo Crescenzi & Frank van Oort, 2020. "Multinational enterprises, industrial relatedness and employment in European regions [Innovation: mapping the winds of creative destruction]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(5), pages 1165-1205.
    4. Alvarez, Roberto & Görg, Holger, 2009. "Multinationals and plant exit: Evidence from Chile," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 45-51, January.
    5. Sass, Magdolna & Gál, Zoltán & S. Gubik, Andrea & Szunomár, Ágnes & Túry, Gábor, 2022. "A koronavírus-járvány kezelése a külföldi tulajdonú magyarországi vállalatoknál [The effects and handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by foreign-owned firms in Hungary]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 758-780.
    6. Shafik Hebous & Alfons J. Weichenrieder & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2009. "Debt Financing and Sharp Currency Depreciations: Wholly vs. Partially Owned Multinational Affiliates," CESifo Working Paper Series 2892, CESifo.
    7. Eppinger, Peter & Smolka, Marcel, 2015. "Firm Exports, Foreign Ownership, and the Global Financial Crisis," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113039, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Laura Alfaro & Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, 2012. "Surviving the Global Financial Crisis: Foreign Ownership and Establishment Performance," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 30-55, August.
    9. Fabienne Fortanier & Selwyn Moons, 2011. "Foreign Investors in The Netherlands: Heterogeneous Employment and Productivity Effects," De Economist, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 511-531, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Roberto Álvarez & Holger Görg, 2011. "Multinationals as Stabilisers? Economic Crisis, Access to Finance, and Employment Growth," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(7), pages 847-863, June.
    2. Anna Maria Ferragina & Fernanda Mazzotta & Erol Taymaz & Kamil Yilmaz, 2013. "The Impact Of Fdi On Firm Survival And Employment: A Comparative Analysis For Turkey And Italy," ERSA conference papers ersa13p1211, European Regional Science Association.
    3. Alvarez, Roberto & Görg, Holger, 2009. "Multinationals and plant exit: Evidence from Chile," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 45-51, January.
    4. Rosanna Pittiglio & Filippo Reganati, 2015. "Multinational Enterprises, Technological Intensity and Firm Survival. Evidence from Italian Manufacturing and Services Firms," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 43(1), pages 87-106, March.
    5. Varum, Celeste Amorim & Rocha, Vera Catarina Barros, 2011. "Do foreign and domestic firms behave any different during economic slowdowns?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 48-59, February.
    6. Waldkirch, Andreas & Ofosu, Andra, 2010. "Foreign Presence, Spillovers, and Productivity: Evidence from Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 1114-1126, August.
    7. Laura Alfaro & Maggie X. Chen, 2013. "Market Reallocation and Knowledge Spillover: The Gains from Multinational Production," Working Papers 2013-13, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    8. Pierre Blanchard & Emmanuel Dhyne & Catherine Fuss & Claude Mathieu, 2016. "(Not So) Easy Come, (Still) Easy Go? Footloose Multinationals Revisited," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 679-707, May.
    9. Maria Bas, 2012. "Foreign ownership wage premium: Does financial health matter?," Working Papers 2012-24, CEPII research center.
    10. Natasha Agarwal & Chris Milner & Alejandro Riaño, 2011. "Credit Constraints and FDI Spillovers in China," Discussion Papers 11/21, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    11. Adalgiso Amendola & Anna Maria Ferragina & Rosanna Pittiglio & Filippo Reganati, 2012. "Are exporters and multinational firms more resilient over a crisis? First evidence for manufacturing enterprises in Italy," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(3), pages 1914-1926.
    12. Cristina JUDE, 2012. "Horizontal and Vertical Technology Spillovers from FDI in Eastern Europe," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 710, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    13. De Loecker, Jan & Konings, Jozef, 2003. "Creative Destruction and Productivity Growth in an Emerging Economy: Evidence from Slovenian Manufacturing," IZA Discussion Papers 971, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Cristina Fernández & Roberta García & Paloma Lopez-Garcia & Benedicta Marzinotto & Roberta Serafini & Juuso Vanhala & Ladislav Wintr, 2017. "Firm growth in Europe: An overview based on the COMPNET labour module," BCL working papers 107, Central Bank of Luxembourg.
    15. Cathy Ge Bao & Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, 2018. "Foreign Rivals Are Coming to Town: Responding to the Threat of Foreign Multinational Entry," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 120-157, October.
    16. Geurts, Karen & Van Biesebroeck, Johannes, 2016. "Firm creation and post-entry dynamics of de novo entrants," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 59-104.
    17. Neil Foster-McGregor, 2012. "Innovation and Technology Transfer across Countries," wiiw Research Reports 380, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    18. Adriana Peluffo, 2015. "Foreign Direct Investment, Productivity, Demand for Skilled Labour and Wage Inequality: An Analysis of Uruguay," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 962-983, June.
    19. Katja Zajc Kej??ar, 2006. "The Role Of Foreign Direct Investment In The Firm Selection Process In A Host Country: Evidence From Slovenia," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp841, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    20. Priit Vahter & Jaan Masso, 2007. "Home versus Host Country Effects of FDI: Searching for New Evidence of Productivity Spillovers," Applied Economics Quarterly (formerly: Konjunkturpolitik), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 53(2), pages 165-196.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    multinationals; employment growth; plant survival; economic crisis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2692. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Holger Hinte (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaade.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.